Onions are a common ingredient in life, whether it is used as a seasoning to remove the smell and enhance the flavor, or as a main dish cold stir-fried, it has a unique flavor. Native to West Asia and cultivated on the mainland for more than 2,000 years, it is rich in organosulfur compounds that help antibacterial, antioxidant and regulate immunity. Some people stay away because of its smell, but they don't know that people who don't like to eat onions miss out on many nutrients. Moreover, on many "anti-cancer vegetables" lists, onions, garlic, etc. are frequent customers, and some netizens even call onions "the king of anti-cancer".
Recently, a research team led by Professor Xiang Yongbing from Renji Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine found that eating onions can help reduce the risk of liver cancer.
Does eating onions help reduce the risk of liver cancer?
The study, published in the Dutch medical journal European Journal of Epidemiology, evaluated the association of 142 foods and nutrients with liver cancer risk.
The researchers used data from the Shanghai Men's Health Study (SMHS) from 2002 to 2006, in which participants submitted information on demographics, diet, lifestyle (smoking, drinking and tea habits, etc.), disease history, and family history of cancer in the form of questionnaires. After excluding some participants who did not meet the criteria, a total of 59,844 males aged 40-74 years were included.
A total of 104 foods/food combinations and 38 nutrients were included in this analysis. By the end of 2016, a total of 431 participants had been newly diagnosed with liver cancer during an average follow-up of 11.9 years, and the cumulative incidence of liver cancer during the follow-up period was 0.72%. A 1 standard deviation (SD, approximately 5.54 g/day) increase in onion intake was associated with a 33% decrease in the risk of liver cancer, and a 15% decrease in the risk of liver cancer was associated with a 15% increase in manganese intake.
Eating some onions every day has a lot of benefits!
1. Helps lower blood sugar
Onions contain organic compounds similar to the hypoglycemic drug tolbutamide, which can produce cortirein with a strong diuretic effect in the human body, and can also help cells make better use of glucose. Diabetic patients can eat 25~50 grams of purple onions per meal, which can have a better hypoglycemic effect.
2. Helps suppress cholesterol
The onion essential oil in onions can inhibit the absorption of dietary cholesterol and improve the activity of plasmin in the human body, thus reducing blood viscosity and improving atherosclerosis.
3. Beneficial to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health
The sulfide in onions can fight blood clots, prevent unnecessary platelet clotting, and eating them regularly can help prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
4. Helps prevent osteoporosis
Research published in the British journal Nature states that onions are the best vegetable to prevent bone loss. Studies have shown that menopausal women who eat onions daily can help reduce the risk of hip fractures.
5. Helps fight asthma
Onions contain a variety of anti-inflammatory natural substances that are beneficial for asthma. German studies have found that eating onions can reduce the probability of asthma attacks by half.
6. Helps in anti-inflammatory
The antioxidants in onions play an important role in the body's fight against inflammation. These antioxidants prevent fatty acid oxidation in the body. The lower the level of oxidized fatty acids, the fewer inflammatory molecules are produced in the body and the greater the ability to control inflammation.
Purple onions, yellow onions, white onions,
Which is better?
There are several common onions on the market: purple-red, yellow, and white, which onion has higher nutritional value?
◎ Purple onion
The content of protein, dietary fiber and minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium is higher than that of yellow skin and white skin, and it is rich in anthocyanins, total flavonoids and stronger antioxidant capacity. The taste is crisp and the spicy flavor is heavier, making it suitable for stir-frying.
◎ Yellow onion, white onion
The content of carotene and vitamin C is higher than that of purple bark. It has a lot of water and high sweetness, so it can be served cold.
Onions aren't for everyone
The following 3 groups of people should eat less
1. People with heavy body odor
When onions are consumed, the organosulfur compounds contained in them are released through sweat, which can aggravate body odor. Therefore, people with a strong body odor should eat less onions, especially in the hot summer months.
2. People with irritable bowel syndrome
The main symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome include diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, abdominal pain, etc., onions contain more dietary fibers such as fructooligosaccharides, and more gas will be produced during digestion, causing flatulence and aggravating irritable bowel symptoms.
3. People with gastroesophageal reflux
Onions have a spicy taste and can irritate the gastric mucosa and cause excessive gastric acid secretion, so people with gastroesophageal reflux should eat less. If you particularly like onions, you can cook them and eat them.
Tip: Cut onions without tears
Many people have been "smoked" when cutting onions, because the alliinase released by the rupture of onion cells reacts with amino acids to produce volatile thiopropionaldehyde-S-oxide, a substance that can stimulate free nerve endings on the cornea and stimulate the lacrimal glands to cause tearing.
If you want to cut onions without tears, you can try the following 2 methods:
(1) Put the onion in the refrigerator and then cut it to reduce the temperature of the onion to slow down the volatilization of thiopropionaldehyde-S-oxide.
(2) Put the onion into the water and cut, thiopropionaldehyde-S-oxide is easily soluble in water.
Source: Life Times, Health Times, I am a big doctor, official WeChat, Popular Science China
Editor: Yu Zhuohan
Duty Director: Yuan Yuzi
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